


one rainy afternoon

by poketa



Category: Glee
Genre: F/F, not so perfect strangers, romantic comedy. hell yeah
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-19
Updated: 2020-05-19
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:20:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24267340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/poketa/pseuds/poketa
Summary: sharing a taxi and keeping it civil? maybe she can manage that.however, to face an undeniable truth in the back of taxi with a complete stranger is another thing altogether.
Relationships: Rachel Berry/Quinn Fabray
Comments: 16
Kudos: 94





	one rainy afternoon

**Author's Note:**

> based in a tweet and brought to life by an entirely uninspired writer who is trying to find her mojo back. hope you like it, fellas.
> 
> tweet: 'broadway diva rachel berry meets elementary teacher quinn fabray when they share a taxi in one of the rainiest days in new york'

* * *

_(i do not know what it is about you that closes_  
 _and opens;_ _only something in me understands_ _the voice of your eyes is deeper than all roses)_

 _nobody,_ _not even the rain, has_ _such small hands_.

_- somewhere i have never travelled, gladly beyond. E.E. Cummings_

* * *

She walks out of the theatre and heaves a long deep sigh, watching the droplets of water descend from the sky and crash onto the asphalt heavily.

Rachel Berry is used to the rain in New York by now, but it doesn't make it any less shittier that she's just standing there on the sidewalk outside her place of work in a flimsy red dress without an umbrella and in the very important need to go home as soon as she can to host a very important party with her fiance.

The idea to call an Uber comes just at the same time that a yellow bolt of hope appears down the street outside the theater and Rachel whistles easily, lifting her finger to beckon it over.

The car stops just where she's standing and she smiles for the very first time on the whole day.

"Thank _God"_

But that voice isn't hers and Rachel turns sharply towards the source, finding to her right side, a very drenched blonde woman in a colourful flowery dress, who is also, without an umbrella.

Apparently, also waiting for a taxi.

"This one's mine" Rachel comments dryly, opening one of the back doors of the car to get inside "You can get the next one or whatever" she informs the blonde woman, who is wiping hair away from her face.

The woman frowns, moving her hands down from their task "But we can share it" she says, stepping closer to her and looking very much like a pissed off toddler "I don't mind" she adds.

"Well, I do" Rachel replies quickly, sending a brief fake smile, before getting inside the taxi and closing the door behind herself, putting the security button down and saving herself from the pouring rain. The performer turns back to the taxi driver, a white man in his fifties, a little more than creepy, with a moustache that seems reminiscent of a serial killer from the sixties, but Rachel pushes against the uncomfortable feeling inside her stomach and rattles her apartment's direction "1533, Av. Lexington -"

Suddenly, the door from the other side of the yellow car opens and inside enters the same blonde woman, closing the door behind herself as she settles against the seat with a satisfied sigh.

"I thought we settled-" Rachel says aggravated, moving away from the woman, who's putting a yellow scarf around her hair to gather it together.

"No, you left me standing outside on the rain and I didn't have a word in" The blonde woman cuts her off with a frown, quickly smoothing it down and then looking at the taxi driver with a small smile "Good afternoon, sir, Central Park East 1 Elementary, please" 

"The _audacity_ " Rachel scoffs, but the taxi driver has already started the ride and she shoots him an annoyed look, before petulantly crossing her arms over her chest "Whatever" she dismisses, looking outside the window and then back to the blonde woman, who is looking outside the window from her side "What's your name? If I'm sharing _my_ car with you, at least, you owe me that" the performer demands briskly.

The blonde woman turns towards her and the dislike for her is evident on her face as she looks back at Rachel, and now that that frown is gone and her hair is away from her face, the diva realizes that the woman inside the car with her is like _ridiculously_ beautiful, like old Hollywood beautiful and Rachel briefly wonders if she _almost_ stole a taxi from another actress.

"Quinn Fabray" The blonde says with a tight smile that doesn't reach her eyes, like at all, Rachel guesses she deserves it a little "Nice to meet you" she adds, even in this uncomfortable situation, this Quinn woman is trying to be nice and Rachel concedes her a point for trying.

"What's the deal with you?" Rachel asks flippantly, shrugging like she doesn't really care for the answer, but she's a little bit curious about the woman with the flowery dress and the perfect smile that is sitting with her in the back of a taxi "What are you? A model? Actress? Are you starring in any TV show?" she offers, naming just a few possibilities that present at the forefront of her mind.

But instead of choosing one of the professions that the brunette has said, Quinn breaks instantly into laughter and Rachel raises her brow at the strange woman, feeling deeply perturbed "Why are you laughing at me? What's so funny?" The actress inquires, feeling put out by the outburst as she fixes her bangs.

The honking of a distant car is the background sound to their conversation.

"Because I'm none of that" The blonde replies, stifling her laugh with a delicate hand that she puts against her mouth.

The Broadway performer sends the blonde a pointed look like _well, then what are you?_

"I'm an elementary school teacher" Quinn answers with a grin and somehow it makes sense in Rachel's mind when she finally connects the dots: the dress, the easy smile and just something about this woman that irradiates from her smile and all of her "Hence by, going to a _school"_ the blonde continues, rolling her eyes, but it's not as mean as Rachel could've expected.

Rachel nods as she goes back to the window, but then something calls her attention as she snaps her eyes back towards her company.

"Aren't you going to ask who I am?" The brunette inquires, taken back by the lack of questions, lifting her chin at the blonde, who seems a little surprised, but seems to quickly smother it with a neutral expression.

"Don't have to" The teacher replies eventually, shrugging casually, looking away.

"You don't?" Rachel counters, self-consciously passing a hand through her hair as she clears her throat and her blush appears as she glances uncomfortably outside the window and then realizes her foolish mistake.

Way too sound like the conceived diva everyone thinks she already is.

"Isn't like your face isn't adorning half of Times Square already" The blonde concedes, tilting her head as they look again into each other's eyes and there's a little of something on her own that tickles Rachel, but she just shakes her head, swallowing.

"Not a fan?" Rachel asks as casually as she can with a small smile she reserves for talk shows and pleasantries.

But the teacher laughs again, but this time isn't as playful as before "Could've been, but then you practically left me at the sidewalk out with this pouring rain" The blonde answers with a smile that cuts deep like a knife and Rachel swallows tightly as she does, slowly erasing the smile from her face "Now, I can't just wait to get out of this car" Quinn mutters, looking away from her.

And those words _hurt_ , like a lot, but it's not like Rachel didn't just do that.

The conversation stops there and Rachel closes her eyes, waiting just to get to her direction and out of this car. The performer has a whole party in two hours and she won't let this interaction ruin what's left of her day.

_"Damn"_

But her luck isn't the best today, it seems and she opens her eyes, instantly seeing what caused such a reaction from the taxi driver.

"We are stuck" _Roger_ , like the license hanging from the mirror says, laments, shooting them a sympathetic smile through the front mirror.

In front of them, rows and rows of cars and other vehicles stuck on a bottleneck impeding them to move forward and Rachel drops her head to the seat behind herself as she closes her eyes.

"Of course" The Broadway performer laments "Just my luck" she adds, rubbing the skin of her forehead with the tips of her fingers.

"Running late to something?" 

She turns to Quinn, who looks understanding and Rachel kind of hates this woman for having such a beautiful face when she's having such a shitty day. It's not even a good reason to hate someone, but Rachel doesn't have anything else to hate her for.

Well, besides hijacking her taxi ride and being too kind when Rachel herself is a complete jerk.

"Just my engagement party" Rachel replies shortly with a sigh.

"You are getting married?" The elementary teacher inquires with an expression of surprise that it's a little hilarious, but Rachel doesn't feel like laughing and she just nods against the seat "Wow - Should I sell that to _TMZ_ now or later when I get home?" Quinn asks with a little grin.

 _"Haha"_ The Broadway performer replies, rolling her eyes. She feels her own action way more meaner than it was intended, not really annoyed at the teacher, but a little to herself, after all, she was the one who stayed more time than intended inside the theater. Rachel informs her taxi mate "Sadly for you, the deal is already closed, _People_ will drop it tomorrow"

"Way to sound excited" Quinn replies instantly, eyeing her with a quirk of her lips.

And Rachel instantly moves to sit straighter against the seat, sending her company a glare as she speaks "I'm elated, bubbly, absolutely walking on nine cloud - don't know what you are talking about"

"Yeah" The elementary teacher replies, scrunching up her nose at her "Your face doesn't sell it that way" she comments with a vague hand gesture towards her.

"Whatever" Rachel acknowledges and then scoffs, diverting the attention from herself "What about you? Why are you going to a school this late?" 

The rain drops on the window making their way down distract Rachel a little bit, but she concentrates in the blonde's voice as the teacher takes a moment to reply.

"My kids have a presentation" Quinn tells her and the smile that blossoms in her face is beautiful, it's natural, it makes Rachel feel like a tool, but she just nods, keeping that to herself.

The car moves moves forward a little and Rachel sighs tiredly "That's nice" She acknowledges softly, thinking about dressed up little kids walking around a stage, singing, dancing, just having fun and the Broadway star understands there that she actually means her words.

Because she used to be one of those kids, once upon a time ago.

"Yeah" The teacher replies happily, grinning at her with eyes that are bright and happy, she truly seems like a Disney princess and Rachel feels more awful as she sits there in that backseat with her, acting like a jerk "It is"

The honking from a car interrupts them and Quinn rolls her eyes as she shakes her head.

Eyeing the blonde with curiosity, Rachel digs a little deeper, knowing that they still have a good few minutes inside this car and her interest is already picked on the woman that hasn't once looked at her phone.

A normal person could've been already watching histories on Instagram or tweeting about their taxi encounter, but Quinn seems completely fine just looking outside the window and ignoring her.

"What about you?" 

The teacher turns towards her "Do I perform?" She replies with a frown, but then her expression breaks and the teacher is grinning "Not really" 

"No, I meant..." Rachel fixes, shaking her head and biting her lip, she doesn't know how to ask it, but she just goes for it, this situation is awkward already "Are you seeing anyone?" 

It's by far the strangest interaction the performer has had in a taxi car, but then it's not everyday that she shares a car with a total complete stranger and Rachel finds a little of her old self surfacing the more she talks with this woman and if she is being honest with herself, it's refreshing.

"But then, you are gorgeous, it would be impossible to be that stunning and being single" Rachel continues as she looks out of the window, but then she turns back to her company at the backseat of the taxi, who is blushing deeply even if the darkness that is the back of the car.

"Thank you?" Quinn replies, but then shakes her head and a very unexpected snort leaves her "But, I'm single" 

Or maybe, Rachel can be totally wrong.

The performer raises both her brows as she speaks and corrects her mistake "Assuming things way too soon may be a defect of mine" she admits sheepishly.

"Thought you didn't have any" The teacher counters back playfully.

And Rachel opens her mouth, but nothing comes out, until it does "You know me" she notes, flicking her eyes all over the other woman's unblemished face.

The elementary teacher briefly looks at her wrist watch, before looking up and frowning at her "We established that, like two blocks away" she replies playfully.

"No, I mean" Rachel continues, rolling her eyes at herself, clearing it up "I said that in an interview - you _know_ me" she clarifies.

And Quinn quirks her lips up at her, a street light reflects her eyes from the outside of the car, they seem to be a bright gold and Rachel feels a little entranced by them "Maybe I _am_ a fan"

But, just at that moment, the car unexpectedly moves, making both of them jump on the backseat, quickly griping anything in reach, as to not hit their faces.

"Sorry" the driver apologizes, showing them a sheepish smile, before facing front again and sighing.

"Uhm - " 

Rachel quickly snaps her head to look at Quinn, the teacher is blushing and looking down at her leg, the performer follows her gaze and then she notices why.

 _"Oh my"_ The performer exclaims, jumping back as far as she can, holding her hands away from Quinn, because Rachel had her whole hand gripping Quinn's naked right thigh and this is beyond humiliating "I'm _so so so_ sorry, I didn't mean to do _that"_ she apologizes, feeling her cheeks go up on flames.

Quinn moves her dress to cover more of her legs and just dismisses her with a hand, seeming just as embarrassed as Rachel "It's alright" She says, but she's diverting her eyes and isn't looking at her "So uhm - how's performing?" the teacher asks awkwardly.

And it seems like the easy route is to change the subject to save them both from dying of embarrassment.

"Amazing" Rachel replies quickly, crossing her arms over her chest and nodding "Everything I dreamed of, when I was just a kid in Ohio, really I couldn't changing it for anything" she says, repeating the same words that she has given to journalists over the years, the words spring from her mouth easily. The performer swallows tightly and turns the card to the other side "Where are you from? - Only if you want to share it with me, obviously" she counters with a serious expression.

But the blonde nods, heaving a sigh and then letting a small smile blossom onto her face like a flower on spring "Connecticut" she replies eventually "Hartford, Connecticut - lived there all my life until I came here, actually" Quinn says with a simple shrug.

"What made you come here?" Rachel inquires, interested, putting her hair behind her ear "Hartford must be _way_ different than New York" she comments, remembering the little things she knows about the town and realizing all she knows about it, it comes from watching _Gilmore Girls._

"Would be the same thing that brought you here, I guess" Quinn replies simply, playing with the bandana in her hair as she speaks.

"Performing?" The brunette says teasingly.

But the teacher shakes her head "I fell in love with the city" she says sincerely, shooting Rachel a look that paralyzes her, but Quinn doesn't seem aware of it as she keeps talking "With the way that the night exists as more than just sleeping here, how people from all over the world can feel at home and then how you can just be yourself here" the blonde says and there's something that clicks inside Rachel's mind with those words pouring from the teacher's mouth as those hazel eyes watch her "I came here once when I was eleven with my mom and promised myself to get here, whatever it took" The blonde replies, wiping her cheek for a lone tear that seems to be falling down her pale skin.

"Wow" Rachel replies, her heart is racing inside her chest and she puts a hand against the red fabric of her dress, feeling it "I think you just made me fall in love with the city all over again" she jokes, but it doesn't feel as much as one.

Quinn laughs and the sound of her laugh is pretty much the most comforting sound the Broadway star has heard in a long while, her heart starts to slow down and Rachel breathes out, thinking about her own experience with the city and everything that has transpired there in the last few years.

Without pressure, the words seem to just appear from her mouth.

"What you said earlier" 

Rachel bites her lip, gazing outside at a couple that is walking hand in hand in the rain. They are holding one umbrella and somehow their expressions just tell everything.

It hits her fast and hard like a bullet to the chest, but doesn't leave her breathless, somehow, it feels like she was prepared to hear this truth someday.

It's just a simple action, one little moment, they are sharing an umbrella, but you can see when a couple shares something real between them, it's not the rain, it's not the umbrella, it's not even standing close to each other, but them, you see them and _know._

"I'm not happy" Rachel confesses looking back at Quinn, who is playing with a wood bracelet in her wrist, but slowly leaves it alone to concentrate back on her.

It's easy to say it after years of denying it.

Because Rachel stayed late today at the theatre, reading lines, rehearsing words alone when she could've been braced by the warm hug of her Upper West Side apartment doing exactly that.

But she preferred to be alone, there, basking in her glory and away from the mask of happiness that has been making her feel miserable in the life she once dreamed of having.

"And I don't think I have been on a very long time" Rachel confesses, thinking it's definitely not the very first time the theatre has albergued her miserable existence.

Once upon a time, Rachel used to dream about this kind of life. 

Broadway lights, big apartments, parties with champagne and celebrities coming and going inside, telling stories and herself becoming part of these stories.

But then she remembers feeling alone at her own house, an apartment full of people she can't recognize, but Rachel is supposed to like. Inside a relationship that is the envy of fans across the globe, but it's really just a cover to keep both of them afloat. Jesse is her best friend and she's his, but they don't love each other, at least, not on the way that one should love their partner.

And don't take her wrong, Rachel still loves performing up there on the stage, but everything else that comes within it? She can't help, but dread it - and maybe that's why she's talking about it to a complete stranger in a taxi car on the rainiest day of the year.

She's sick of pretending she absolutely loves this life, just because it's part of being a Broadway star.

"Why?" Quinn eventually asks, moving closer, her voice low.

And Rachel turns to her with a questioning gaze "Why what? Why am I not happy? Well, do you have the whole night?" she jokes at her own expense, snorting.

"No, Rachel" Quinn says deadly serious and the performer turns to her with a question gaze "I mean, why are you doing it then?" the teacher rectifies, her eyes enchanting her to follow them "If you are so unhappy with the way things are, why not just _change_ it?"

The silence that settles is heated, strong, makes her wanna open the door and run away, maybe lost herself on a mass of people walking the streets.

But Rachel, for some reason, stays.

"I don't know" She finally replies, after what feels like minutes of silence, but has been just seconds "Fear, maybe?" Rachel locks her eyes on the hazel ones of the teacher and continues "What if I'll do it? What if I don't settle for it and everything that I do like about my life goes away with it?" She says sincerely, shaking her head "Can't bear the thought of losing it, Quinn, I can't" she confesses, closing her eyes and breathing deeply in.

The car seems to move forward, not as briskly as before, but none of them pay attention to it, too caught up in their conversation to be aware of their surroundings shifting.

"Talent doesn't go away like that" 

The voice of Quinn comes and Rachel breathes out shakily, opening her eyes to see her again.

"You could lose people, connections, maybe even a role or two, but the talent you have won't ever go away, Rachel" The blonde says with a modest shrug "Take it from a fan" she comments and the darkness inside the cab doesn't let her see it, but Rachel could bet that the blonde is blushing, at least, a little by the confession.

And Rachel laughs, sincerely, openly, for the very first time on a very long time.

"Knew you were a fan" She comments, trying to dissipate the focus, but the words hang onto the air like undeniable truths and she chuckles "And a very good one at that, telling me to risk my career for happiness" She acknowledges, shooting Quinn a sincere smile.

"Maybe I just wanna see you fail at life after you left me there in the rain" Quinn replies with her own smile, chuckling lightly.

But Rachel knows better.

This woman sitting with her on the backseat of this taxi is going to see a probably sucky presentation starred by a few ten year olds and she seems entirely excited to see it, even risking getting onto a smack down with a Broadway diva to get a cab.

If anything, Quinn isn't the type of person one could find just every day in the back of a cab on the streets of New York.

But Rachel is kind of glad she did.

"Here we are, Miss Berry" 

Rachel looks away from Quinn and shoots a questioning glance at the driver, who is grinning at her and she looks outside the window, finding her building.

Not only, it's surprising how quick they got to her apartment once she started talking with Quinn and caring less about getting soon to her apartment but, apparently, their driver also knows who she is.

Hopefully, Roger won't open his mouth about what he has heard inside his car during this ride, because he certainly could sell them for more than just a few bucks.

"Here we are" Rachel comments lamely, opening the car door and the rain hasn't stopped going outside, but that isn't what's stopping her from getting out of the vehicle yet.

She looks back at Quinn and the teacher is frowning at her, but she isn't saying anything.

"Goodbye, I guess" The diva says, but she isn't moving from the seat.

"Go celebrate life, Rachel Berry" Quinn replies and there's not an ounce of sarcasm there, she seems genuinely sincere about it and it makes her almost want to stay there rooted on that seat.

"Okay" Rachel finally replies and she takes her purse.

Taking a couple of bucks that should cover the fee for the whole ride, she trusts them for Roger to take, who does and winks at her.

"Thank you for the ride" She says evenly and then moves to exit the car, closing the door behind herself.

But she can't step away from the car, her hand on the handle and something seems to keep her rooted to it.

"Rach"

She turns in direction of the voice and there stands her fiance, Jesse St. James in his impeccable suit with an umbrella and his shining smile.

Her hand drops the handle of the taxi cab, but she doesn't feel excited, elated, happy on cloud nine

The repetition of the words make her quickly look away to the inside of the car, where Quinn is looking back at her with a little grin and Rachel swallows tightly, before looking at Jesse.

"What are you doing standing there?" Jesse says, walking closer to her, putting the umbrella over both of their heads, caressing her cheek.

But even with her eyes rooted into the ones of her fiance, she can't move her eyes away from the blonde woman inside the car, who still hasn't moved the taxi towards her own destination.

"Let's go inside, baby" Jesse says, kissing her temple and walking them away to the door of the building.

The taxi car finally moves away from the sidewalk. 

She sends one last look towards it and closes her eyes, letting one lone tear leave her eye, dripping down her cheek, reaching her lips and she moves it away as her fiance rubs her back and walks them inside the lobby and towards the elevator.

As the doors close, she can only see those golden eyes watching her as their owner is telling her to go celebrate life.

Rachel swallows, letting her head fall to the back of the elevator with a sigh.

If she just were strong enough...

* * *

  
  


"I tried to not freak out for the whole ride, but _damn_ that was Rachel _freakin_ Berry"

The driver of the taxi gushes with an excited tone, shaking his head and shooting her a look through the mirror.

And Quinn nods, smiling briefly at him, before looking outside the window "Yeah, unbelievable" the teacher agrees with a deep sigh, shaking her head to herself to keep herself in the present.

"Have you seen her on stage?" Roger continues as he whistles and taps his hands on the steering wheel "Ma'am, she's pure magic" he comments, happily driving the car.

The car seems to go faster now and the teacher nods as she observes the change of scenery.

She does know how magically it can be to be at the presence of Rachel Berry performing in front of your very eyes.

Sadly, the only performance that is playing behind her eyelids right now, it's the one that Rachel was giving outside the car, walking away with her fiance, committing to a life where she feels utterly miserable.

Yeah, Rachel Berry truly seems to be a great actress.

They arrive quickly to the school and Quinn checks her watch with a smile, noticing that she still has a couple of minutes before the play starts.

She opens her purse and takes a few bills to pay the cashier, but he doesn't take it, shooting her a firm look.

Shaking his head, Roger says with his hands up "Ain't taking your money, Miss - Miss Berry already paid for the whole ride"

Quinn opens her mouth, checking her mind for the image, but all she can see is the miserable expression on Rachel's face as she got out of the car and then walked away with her fiance.

"When did that happen?" She asks loudly.

"Maybe when you were watching her go" The driver replies with a snicker as she snaps her eyes to look at him, his eyes are blue and soft, but he isn't teasing her, not at least on a bad way "Kid, you kind of remind me of my husband" Roger continues with a chuckle "Always a little distracted, always a little in the clouds, but boy, he could get me down to Earth with his words" he reminisces with a sad smile.

But all Quinn can do is frown at the driver, as she then shakes her head and saves her money inside her purse "I'm not quite following you, but goodnight, Roger, thank you for the ride"

"It was a pleasure" Roger says back, giving her a little salute with his fingers, before turning around, kissing his fingers, before tapping them to a picture above his license, one she has only now noticed.

A black man with a beautiful smile with his arms around a younger, but just as happy, Roger. 

Quinn smiles sadly to the picture, before she opens the door of the taxi car and gets out, closing the door gently behind herself, running to get to a safe place where the rain can't get her.

There she stands under the entry of the school and turns to see the car go with the rain and the memory of that conversation on the backseat.

To Quinn, taxi cars will be forever more than just cars, she thinks, it will be a moment, an interaction, a complete one eighty that just happened inside a limited space that she never thought it would happen.

Taxi rides will be forever linked with Rachel and one admission that she gave in the backseat of a car.

 _"The play starts in ten!"_

Taxis will forever make her think about Rachel Berry.

Perhaps, storing that little encounter to the back of her mind for the rainy days it is the best she can do for now.

Quinn turns around and enters the school, feeling both lighter and heavier than how she started the day. 

One decision, one minute she took to choose a different pair a shoes, that's all it took to make the encounter happen and maybe changing your life can be that easy, just to take one minute of your life to do something and steering your life into a complete different direction.

* * *

The teacher walks out of the school on a high, stepping from cloud to cloud as the performance of her students plays again at her mind.

She's so proud of them.

But her ecstasy confronts a quickly shock inside her body as she steps outside of the school's ground and caughts sight of someone standing there on the rain.

Now, she's dressed in jeans, a simple deep red coat and black long boots.

At least now, there is an umbrella covering her head and Quinn grins crookedly as she steps slowly towards the woman, her brown boots stepping onto puddles on the sidewalk "How was the party?" She inquires curiously, crossing her arms over her chest, not really caring for the rain that is slowly drenching her again.

But the small brunette is quick to move closer to her and put the umbrella above both of their heads, effectively sheltering her from the rain.

"Stop doing that" The performer reprimands her with a tight frown on her face.

Quinn tilts her head back at her, shrugging, she is more than entertained by the expression on that face, Rachel is honestly the most beautiful woman she has been this close up to and she feels happy for seeing her again, but the question still nags at her "You didn't answer" she says, looking down at her.

The rain hits the umbrella, their legs receive the splash of random raindrops against the sidewalk, but they seem too caught up onto their own little world to pay attention to anything else, but their eyes and the suspense of an answer.

"There was no party" The Broadway performer replies with a dead serious expression.

"Why not?" Quinn counters, lifting her brow at her, daringly.

Rachel breaks onto a smile, genuine, open, big, definitely not like the ones she shared back at the cab.

No, those were strange, controlled, entirely too manufactured to appeal to be real.

This one is purely Rachel's and Quinn can't help, but smile back.

"You see" Rachel explains playfully, but keeping her expression straight "This blonde teacher stole my taxi today and although I hated her for it, she helped me realize I was _fricking_ miserable"

"She sounds wise" Quinn comments back and she doesn't miss the way that Rachel's dark eyes move from her eyes to her lips as she licks them.

Her heart feels like it has just ricocheted to her throat and she swallows tightly.

"Mmm, don't tell her" Rachel says and the distance between their faces seems to be too big, but also too small, but they have met for just a few hours and maybe it's right to have that distance there, they don't know each other that much and it wouldn't be fair to any of them to commit to an act this soon "She's already annoying enough" 

Quinn laughs at her, shaking her head and moving away from the brunette, who instantly frowns at her "Come on, there's a nice 24/7 dinner down the street!" She yells, moving away from Rachel and smiling up to the rain.

And she doesn't have to turn around to see if Rachel is following her as she walks.

"Stop there, Quinn! - Do you want to get sick!"

But Rachel is laughing too, like she's celebrating life and Quinn can't stop smiling as she escapes from the tiny brunette with the big voice, the huge talent and even bigger heart.

The rain didn't make her drive her bike that day, God bless the rain.

* * *

_ your slightest look easily will unclose me _  
_ though i have closed myself as fingers, _  
_ you open always petal by petal myself  _ _ as Spring opens  _

_ (touching skillfully, mysteriously) her first rose _

_- somewhere i have never travelled, gladly beyond. E.E. Cummings._

* * *

**Author's Note:**

> hope y'all liked my little story. comments and kudos always welcome.


End file.
